Columns & Opinions

Cartoons have captivated and delighted children – and the young at heart -- for generations. As the motion picture industry emerged, cartoons became a staple feature of the matinee. As television later emerged, they became normal fare on Saturday mornings and late afternoons after school. Even in the modern age of DVD players and wireless streaming, they still delight audiences of all ages. Young children still enjoy discovering and watching the same cartoons from as early as the 1930s and 1940s that their parents and grandparents grew up watching. One of the early and most important pioneers of animation was a Texan known simply as Tex Avery.

A report submitted to state leaders ahead of the 88th legislative session’s opening in January urges lawmakers to develop “an innovative new model” to fund community colleges.

The machineries of government can be used for good or ill. Some politicians abuse their offices or use them strictly to destroy their political opponents while others try to uplift their communities and make life better for others. With his more than four decades in Congress, Jack Brooks became an iconic figure who instituted many changes for Southeast Texas.